Ali Manikfan

M. Ali Manikfan (where "M." stands for Muraiduganduar, also known as Muräduganduar Ali Befanu;^[1] manikfan is family name and befanu is actually a title) (born 16 March 1938, Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep) is an Indian marine researcher, ecologist, shipbuilder, and a polyglot.^[2][3] He is noted for his autodidactic research skills in the marine, ecology, and agricultural fields, not holding any formal educational qualification,^[2] and for promoting a life of simplicity.^[4][5][6]

Life

Ali Manikfan was born to Musa Manikfan and Fatima Manika in Minicoy Island of Lakshadweep on 16 March 1938. His father Musa sent him to Kannur for formal education. As he was not interested in formal education, he left his studies and returned to his home land. According to him formal education is artificial and pointless and best way to acquire knowledge is getting wisdom by observing our environment.^[2] Ali Manikfan knows a great number of languages. Besides his mother tongue Divehi (Mahl), he learned English, Hindi and Malayalam, Arabic, Latin, French, Russian, German, Sinhalese, Persian, Sanskrit, Tamil and Urdu. His other areas of interest are marine biology, marine research, geography, astronomy, social science, traditional shipbuilding, education, fisheries, agriculture and horticulture. In 1956 he worked as a teacher and then became a clerk in Minicoy. (Indian government's chief civil official on the Island). But his interest was in marine life. In 1960s he joined the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute of India.^[2]

New fish species discovered

While working with the marine biologist Dr. Santhappan Jones, Manikfan discovered a new fish species. Jones, impressed by Ali's observation skills and his wide knowledge about marine life, called the species Abudefduf manikfani.^[2][7] Later, his knowledge was used for a paper describing the fish species in the Laccadive archipelago found in the specimen collections, on which he was listed as a co-author.^[8]

Technical and agricultural experiments

Ali Manikfan follows non-aggressive agricultural methods that take nature in consideration. For his 15-acre (0.061 km²) land in Valliyur in Thirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, he produces his own electricity from a windmill which he designed himself.^[9] He built a house there with eco friendly materials that are naturally available in the region.

Shipbuilder

In 1981 Ali Manikfan was given the responsibility of making a reconstruction of an ancient Arab trading ship, the Sohar, by Irish adventurer Tim Severin. He went to Oman to direct the team of carpenters. The ship, named after the city of Sohar in Oman, was completely hand-made, using traditional boat-building techniques, and no metal was used in its construction. It took one year to build the 27 metres long ship and four tons of coir were needed to sew the planks of its hull, in the same way that ancient Maldivians had built ships. Tim Severin traveled 9,600 km from Oman to China by this ship. Severin described his eight-month-long journey in a book, The Sindbad Voyage.^[10] The Sohar is now displayed at a Museum in Oman.

Calendar

Ali Manikfan designed a lunar calendar and recommended Muslims all over the world to follow a unified lunar calendar.^[3][11]

The Islamic calendar (Hijri calendar) is a purely lunar calendar. It contains 12 months that are based on the phases and stages of the moon, and because 12 synodic months is only 12 x 29.53059=354.3671 days, the Islamic calendar is consistently shorter than a tropical year, and therefore it shifts with respect to the Christian calendar. The calendar is based on the Qur'an (Sura IX, 36-37) and its proper observance is a sacred duty for Muslims.

Unfortunately some Muslim astronomers have suggested that lunar date lines should be marked on the world map for the Muslims to begin their fasting and celebrating their Eid. According to them this would depend on the first visibility of the crescent and the date would begin from then. The so-called curved lunar date lines always keep on changing and they pass through cities, towns and even houses.

Hijri calendar is the same astronomical lunar calendar and the month begins and ends on conjunction (Astronomical new moon), the conjunction being the last day of the month. Sometimes the conjunction falls on the 29th day and sometimes on 30th day. Each phase of the moon and its angular distance indicates each date and it is like a natural calendar hung in the sky. Sometimes we cannot see the moon because of the changes in weather, but it does not make any difference in calendar dates because it is related to the motion of the moon. Its physical visibility is not the criterion. The astronomical new moon times and dates are already computed exactly for thousands of years backward and forward.^[12]

He is the Chairman of the Hijra Committee of India ^[13]

Bicycle

For his own purpose he invented a cycle fitted by a roller motor, which can easily ride at a speed of twenty-five km per hour for many hours in a row. Ali Manikfan traveled up to Delhi on this cycle along with his son. He owns a patent for this cycle.

Vision

Ali Manikfan promotes self-sufficiency as well as harming the surrounding environment as little as possible. He says – Nobody has to do anything but refrain from destroying the natural growth. For the past decades the life of Ali Manikfan is closely attached to nature. He eats many kinds of different leaves and fruits. Ali Manikfan himself says one can eat all kinds of leaves that goats eat. Ali Manikfan casts the message “We must depend on ourselves” through his own example.

Gallery

References